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Caucasian Riviera | |
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  .jpg)  Clockwise from top: a street view ofBatumi;Port of Sochi; pebble beach ofGagra; and the view ofSochi andCaucasus mountains behind | |
.png) Eastern part of Black sea | |
| Coordinates:43°37′5.57″N39°51′41.45″E / 43.6182139°N 39.8615139°E /43.6182139; 39.8615139 | |
| Country | Russia Georgia Abkhazia |
TheCaucasian Rivierais a subtropical coastal zone along the eastern shores of theBlack Sea under theCaucasus Mountains, withKrasnaya Polyana being the most known alpineski resort.[1][2] Riviera runs fromNovorossiysk,Russia toSarpi, Georgia. The area is divided into five regions, of which four (Adjara,Guria,Samegrelo, andAbkhazia) are located inGeorgia, and one (the Black Sea coast ofKrasnodar Krai) is inRussia. The Caucasian Riviera is 600 km (370 mi) long, 350 km (220 mi) of which belongs to Russia and 250 km (160 mi) to Georgia.[3]
The coast is located on the samelatitude as theFrench Riviera, theItalian Riviera,New York City and theKorean Peninsula, the Caucasian Riviera combinesMediterranean-like warmth with dramatic mountainous backdrops.[4]
The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (BSC or Caucasian Riviera) is located at the same geographical latitude (42°-45°N) as theAdriatic, FrenchCote d'Azur and Italian Riviera resorts and has a similar climate.
The northern border of the region is generally considered to be theTaman Peninsula, marking the transition from the Azov Sea to the Black Sea. The city ofAnapa is often regarded as the starting point of the resort area.[5] In some classifications, theAzov coast of the Caucasus, located immediately to the north, is also included within the broader definition of the region.
The southern border of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus coincides with the state border of the former USSR (now Georgia) with Turkey. Its natural continuation on Turkish territory is theAnatolian coast and, further, theRumelian coast. From the east, the region of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus is limited by thespurs of theGreater andLesser Caucasus and theColchis Lowland located between them, from the west - by the Black Sea itself.
The Black Sea coastline extends for over 600 km, of which about 350 km is in theRussian part. The most significant cities in the region are (from north to south): Anapa, Novorossiysk,Gelendzhik,Tuapse,Lazarevskoye, Sochi,Gagra,Pitsunda,Gudauta,Sukhumi,Ochamchira,Poti, and Batumi. Other resorts include Kabardinka, Divnomorskoye,Arkhipo-Osipovka,Dzhubga, Lermontovo,Novomikhaylovsky,Abrau-Dyurso,Dagomys,Matsesta,Khosta,Loo,Adler,New Athos,Gulripshi,Anaklia,Ganmukhuri,Kobuleti,Makhinjauri,Gonio,Sarpi,Vardane,Tsikhisdziri, andChakvi.
The Caucasian Riviera has been inhabited since ancient times, with evidence of human activity dating back to theDolmen culture around2,000–3,000 BCE. Unusual structuresdolmens are found in large numbers on the Black Sea coast. The region was known asColchis inClassical antiquity.[6][7][8][9]
During the early antiquity, theSarmatians and, apparently, theScythians came here from the north, theancient Greeks traded with them on their ships, although despite their constant presence they did not establish numerous settlements here. The coast was to some extent affected by ancient Greek colonization, and then by the indirect influence of theRoman Empire during its period of greatest power.
VariousAdyghe tribes (Shapsugs,Natukhais, etc.), now few in number due to the bloody Russo-Caucasian War, during which about 5% of the Adyghe remained on their native land, are theautochthonous population of this region. The Christian influence ofByzantium in the earlyfeudal period was replaced by the control of the Muslim Ottoman Empire after the 15th century, which spreadIslam among the local population. TheTreaty of Adrianople in 1829, concluded between the defeatedOttoman Empire and the victorious Russian Empire, legalized the transfer of the BSC to the latter, although the Russian army captured Anapa three times during various Russo-Turkish wars in1791,1808, and1828. After the 1830s, the region began to be populated bySlavic settlers (Russians, Ukrainians), although the first Slavic state (theTmutarakan Principality) was formed in the northern part of the BSC back in 944-965 and existed until the beginning of the 12th century.[10][11]
The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus became part of Russia as a result of the voluntary incorporation of the principalities of Abkhazia,Megrelia andGuria into the Russian Empire, as well as the conquest of Circassia during the Caucasian War of 1763-1864 and Adjara during theRusso-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Russia took over much of the Caucasus region after the Russo-Turkish War, and the Russians began displacing or killing much of the localCircassian population.
In 1867, the Black Sea District of theKuban Region with its center in Novorossiysk was established, which was transformed into theBlack Sea Governorate in 1896. In 1866, the Sukhumi Military Department was created as part of theKutaisi Governorate, which was separated into an independent district in 1903, and in 1878, from the territories ceded from Turkey according to theBerlin Treaty of that year, the Batumi Region (in 1883-1903 - the district of the Kutaisi Governorate). The Sukhumi Military Road and theNorth Caucasian Highway were of great economic and military importance for the BSC region.
After theFebruary andOctober Revolutions in 1917–1920, parts of the region's territory were part of unstable state entities - both Soviet and monarchist and nationalist. These were: the Kuban Soviet Republic, the Black Sea Soviet Republic, the Kuban-Black Sea Soviet Republic, the North Caucasian Soviet Republic, the Great Don Army, the Kuban People's Republic, the South of Russia, theTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, and theGeorgian Democratic Republic. BSC was partially occupied byBritish andTurkish troops.
From 1920 to 1921, Soviet power was firmly established on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, and theTreaty of Moscow of 1921 established the state border with theKemalistTurkish Republic in Adjara, which defined the southern border of the BSC, and which still exists today.
Russian developers in the early 20th century saw the area as a "Caucasian Riviera" and began building hotels andspas. Like the southern coast ofCrimea, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus began to be actively used for resort purposes only at the end of the 19th century. This was caused by the poor suitability of the region not only for recreation, but also for the permanent residence of a significant number of people: with the exception of small coastal areas, the coastal zone was a chain of malarialswamps interspersed with mountaingorges and villages. The coast was very densely populated in the territory of residence of the Circassians,Ubykhs andAbazins, where the mountain gorges began at the coastline. At the same time, in order to avoidmalaria, the highlanders settled on the hills and ridges of the mountains.
By the early to mid-20th century, especially during theSoviet era, most of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus was subjected to large-scale terraforming, with the drainage of swampy areas and the elimination ofmosquitoes as carriers of malaria – using chemical treatment, planting special types of "anti-mosquito"flora (mainlyeucalyptus) and the introduction of theMosquitofish, which actively feeds on mosquitolarvae.
The Great Patriotic War, namely theBattle of the Caucasus, also affected the northern part of the BSC. During the offensive of the Nazi troops of Army Group A with the support of the Romanian-Italian naval forces from the sea in August–September 1942, fierce battles continued in the Maykop-Tuapse and Krasnodar-Novorossiysk directions. By August 31, the troops of the17th Army of the Reich captured Anapa, and by September 7, they reached the northern outskirts of Novorossiysk (Novorossiysk Operation (1942)).Despite numerous attempts, the enemy failed to break through to Tuapse and Sukhumi (Tuapse Operation (1942)). A partisan movement developed in the temporarily occupied territory, and in the autumn of the following year, 1943, during the Novorossiysk-Taman operation from September 9 to October 9, the troops of the North Caucasus Front, in cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet, liberated Novorossiysk and the entire Taman Peninsula. The Battle of the Caucasus was won by the USSR. Thousands of Soviet soldiers were awarded the medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus" as a result of the operation, established by the Decree of thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 1, 1944.[12]
The industry remained underdeveloped until the 1930s, when Sochi became main Russia's tourist destination.[13][14] In the post-war years, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus became the most important "all-Union health resort". In 1970, by a decree of theCouncil of Ministers of the USSR, it was classified as a resort of Union significance. In the 1980s, up to 25 million citizens of the Soviet Union vacationed there each year.[15]
The Black Sea coast of the Caucasus suffered significant damage with thecollapse of the USSR in 1991, regional and economic instability crippled tourism and the Caucasian Riviera has lost its popularity, when political conflicts on the territory of the former Georgian SSR entered the phase of open armed confrontation, in particular the1992-1993 war in Abkhazia and the 1991-1993civil war in Georgia. Destroyed cities and infrastructure, a large number of minefields, small arms in hand, crime, economic, energy and transport blockade, ethnopolitical disunity, human losses, tens of thousands of refugees - all these consequences still affect the development of the region. Transport links were partially restored only in the second half of the 2000s.
TheAdjara crisis of 2004 and theRussian-Georgian war broke out in 2008, as a result of which Russia recognized Abkhazia, but is accused by Georgia, the United States, Ukraine and theOSCE of occupying the region, did not add economic benefits to the region. Recovery began in the 2000s, spurred on by the Georgian renovation of Batumi, which modernised the capital ofAdjara. And Russia's2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which spurred massive infrastructure investment, some $12 billion of which wasRussian money.[16][2]
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The Riviera's climate shifts from temperate to subtropical. FromNovorossiysk toTuapse, the average temperature in January is 3 °C (37 °F), and during July it's 23 °C (73 °F). To the south of Tuapse the climate ishumid subtropical because of the mountains rising more than 1000 meters above sea level. The mountains don't let the humidity of the Black Sea move east which creates amicroclimate with an average temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) in January, and 28 °C (82 °F) in July.[17] North of Tuapse, the average rainfall is 500 mm (20 in) a year.[5] South of Tuapse down to Adjara it is 2,800 mm (110 in), most of which falls during winter. Average sunshine is between 2200 and 2400 hours and only an average of 12 days during summer are rainy.
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The mountain slopes are covered with rich woody vegetation -beech,hornbeam,chestnut,yew,fir and otherconifers. On the coast south ofGelendzhik subtropical species of plants, in particular palms, yuccas, acacias, magnolias,boxwoods, prevail.Broad-leaved forests withlianas and evergreen shrubs are widespread in the south of the region. About six thousand plant species grow in the Black Sea coastal region, among which more than a hundred are found only in the Black Sea coast and a considerable number of relict plants, e.g.common laurel,Pontic rhododendron,Ilex colchica,Pistacia,Peperomia obtusifolia,Juniperus excelsa,Pinus brutia var. pityusa, and others.[18] The Anapa coast has the largest number of plant species in the region.
TheAnapa coast has the most extensive (up to 35 km long) and high quality sandy beaches of the entire resort area of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Sandy beaches are also characteristic of the area from theKodor River to theKintrish River. In thePitsunda-Novy Afon section, the beaches change togravel-sand beaches. Pebble and boulder-pebble beaches prevail on the rest of the coast, the area of which is sometimes limited by the mountains approaching the sea. There is a problem of beaches being washed out by the sea.
TheCaucasus Biosphere Reserve, which is on theUNESCO World Heritage List, is north of Sochi.
The favorable climate and natural conditions of the coast are a significant factor in economic activity. The economy of the area is based on tourism, agriculture and transportation. Tourist season lasts from the middle of May to the middle of October. The major touristic centers are located inAdjara,Abkhazia andSochi. There are three ski areas near the coast.[4]
Agriculture is a significant part of the economy with a variety of vegetables, cereals and fruits grown in the area, winter wheat and corn, subtropical fruit growing is strong - cultivation of citrus fruits, pomegranate,persimmon, fig,viticulture.Tea growing is common in the region (the northernmost tea plantations in the world), and the Caucasus Mountains are one of the northernmost areas of the world where tea is grown. Among industrial crops, the main one is sunflower.
But the main sources of prosperity of the region are sea shipping and tourism, including international. The swimming season lasts over 120 days, from mid-May to mid-late October, thevelvet season is long. However, the high development of the coast is characteristic only of resort cities - Greater Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Sukhum and individual resort villages.
Over the long period of thesanatorium and resort business, over 14 thousand institutions for medical and health recreation have been created. Today, on the Russian Black Sea coast alone, there are over 1,000boarding houses, sanatoriums and hotels. In recent years, 7% of Russian residents vacation on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus every year.[21]
The Black Sea is also called the "dead sea" because there is no life below 200 meters.[22] However, several species of fish can still be caught in the sea, so fishing forms a part of the region's economy.
Some of the area's important ports areBatumi Seaport,Poti Sea Port,Sukhumi,Sochi, Tuapse andPort of Novorossiysk.
![Tea harvest workers, near Batumi, ca. 1909-1915[14]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGroup_of_workers_harvesting_tea_Chakva_Prokudin-Gorsky.jpg)
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Literature (in Russian)
| Countries bordering the Black Sea | |
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1 Disputed statehood/Occupied territory —partial international recognition, but considered by most countries to be part ofGeorgia. | |
